Curtain fastener



Dec. 19, 1922.

J. VODICKA ET AL.

CURTAIN FASTENER.

FILED APR. 23, 19 20.

NOIS.

aranr rein JOHN VODIGKA arm earner. w. KIMBELL, or cnroneo,'rr.m1vois, ASSIG-NORS 'ro crncn rns'rnnna eonronnrron; or orrrcaoo, rumors, nconronn'rron or ILLI- teen CURTAIN FASTENER.

Application fil ed April'2 3, 1920. Serial No. 375,960.

To all whom it may concern p 1 Be it known that we, JOHN VODIOKA and ARTHUR W. KIMBELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oflllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain Fasteners, of which the following is a specification. H 1' Our invention relates more particularly to curtain fasteners designed for use in connection with automobile curtains, though it will be obvious from the following descrip- 1 tion that it is applicable to a variety of other uses, where a ring such as a grommet is to be removably held upon a stud. The nature of the invention will be understood from the following description in connection with the drawings forming a part of this application and the scopeof the invention will be defined in the following claims in which we have endeavored to distinguish it from the prior art so far as known to us without relinquishing part, or abandoning the elements of our improved fastener a ttached thereto; F1 .,4 ,1s an axial sectionthrough the curtain member of our fastener,

showing the post in locked positiontherein in dotted lines; Fig, 5 is perspective of the post elementyl igs. 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of parts of the curtain member of the fastener; Fig. 9 is a sectionlon the line 9, 9 of Fig. i, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the parts in the position which they occupy when the fastener elements are in interlocking position; Fig.

10 is a similar view with parts in position which theyoccupy when the curtain mem-.

ber is being removed from the head of the post; and Fig. 11 represents a section of one of the curtain member elements in perspective. Q

The post member of our curtain fastener, which, as above stated, is to be mounted upon an upright of an auton'iobile top or in any other suitable position, is formed with the body portion 13, the screw shank 14 to be driven intothe frame work of the automobiletop, a tapered head 14: and a reduced neck15 intermediate said head and body as will be presently seen. The curtain member comprises a housing, containing a spring collar or gripping member and adapted toreceive the head and a portion of the top ofthe post. The housing is formed in two sectlons, an inner section 16 and an outer section 17, each of which sections comprises a broad annular flange 16, 17 and a concentric hollow boss 18, 19 of substantially equal interior diameter, adapted to receive the head of the post. The boss 18 extends inward through the body of the curtain and boss '19 outward, both bosses being open at their respective ends, and the edges of the openings slightly inturned as at 18*, 19? fora purposewhich will appeanx The flange 17 is formed with a skirt 20 at its periphery and the skirt is formed with a series of, tongues 21, which, in assembling the curtainmember are projected through corresponding slots22, in the flange 1*6 (see Fig. 6) and also throughv corresponding slots in a washer or keeper 23, surrounding boss 18 on the inside of the curtain. The tongues are bent' over as at 24:11pm the" washer .23, thus holding the sections.16,"17 and washer 23 together.. The section 17 is also provided on its periphery with a series of tongues or lug-s25,

arranged respectively intermediate the tongues 21, which lugs 25 extend through openings 26 in flange 16 and into the curtainbut not through the washer or keeper.

position. The skirt 20, forms a shallow chamber 27, concentric and communicating with the chamber formed bythe bosses, and chamber 27 contains a spring collar or gripping member 28 of the form best shown in Fig.

Thus the jaws of the gripping member are normally maintained in closed position by the annular spring. As seen in Fig. 7, the

These; lugs may be bentover the flange 16 as shown 11). li g. to hold the parts in 29 and a jaws are cut out to form when in contact a substantially circular opening 31, which is slightly larger in diameter than the neck of the post, but smaller than the head of the latter. The chamber 27 containing this gripping member is of sufficient diameter to allow a slight expansion of the latter. It'

thumbpiece coaxial with the opening and will be noted from aninspection of Figs. and 5 that the head of the post is somewhat tapered as at 33, the extreme end thereof being of a diameter to enter the opening in the gripping jaws when the latter are closed. When the curtain member of the fastener is forced down upon the post, the latter spreads the jaws by wedging action and the jaws pass over the head to the neck where they close and thus secure the annular or curtain member to the post.

To release the curtaln member from the post it is of course necessary to spread the jaws of the gripping memberand for this purpose the thumb piece or thimble 34: is reciprocably mounted in the boss 19, and formed with diametrically opposite wedge projections or lugs 85, the ends of which extend into recesses or notches '36 in the jaws; each notch being formed partially in one jaw and partially in they other. The thumb piece is hollow to receive the tapered end of the post and enlarged in diameter at its inner periphery, forming the shoulder 37 which coacts withv the inturned edge 19* to limit the outward movement of the thumb piece. Obviously when the thumb piece is pressed inwardly the lugs thereon wedge the spring jaws apart and permit the head of the post to pass therethrough.

We claim: a I

'1. In acurtain fastener and in combinaa tion with a post having a reduced neck and head, a housing adapted to be connected 'to the curtain and havingan opening to receive the post spring jaws within the housing adapted to encircle the post about its neck v and a reciprocable tl'uimbpiece coaxial with the "opening and having means for spreading the jaws slidable in said housing. i

' curtain member housing having an opening adapted to re ceive the head of the post, a pairof springpressed jaws within the housing adapted to encircle the'neck of the post, and a hollow having wedge-shaped lugs projecting between said jaws and adapted to spread the same.

3. In a curtain" fastener and in combination with a post having a reduced neck, a comprising a housing adapted to be secured to a curtain and having an elongated chamber to receive the post, a pairof spring-pressed jaws adapted to engage the neck of the post, a hollow thumb-piece reciprocable within said elongated chamber, anda wedge on the thumb-- piece extending between the jaws and adapted to force them apart.

4. Ina curtain fastener and in combination with a post having a reduced neck, a sectional housing, a hollow boss on one of the housing sections open at both ends and adapted "to-receive the head of the post, a hollow thumb-piece mounted to slide in said boss and projecting beyond the same, a pair of jaws within the housing adapted to en gage the neck of the post, lugs on said' thumb piece extending between and adapted to spread said jaws when the thumb-piece is depressed.

5. In a curtain fastener and'in combination with a post having a reduced neck, a curtain member comprising a section .16 having a hollow boss 18 and a flange 16, a

second section 17 having a boss 19 and a flange 17% a pair of flat spring-pressed aws arranged between sa d sections and adapted to engage'the post and an axially lllOVttble thumb-piece having wedge-shaped lugs extending between said jaws and adapt ed when the thumb-piece is depressedto separate the latter.

JOHN VOIDIOKA. ARTHUR W. KIMBELL. 

